The HR Manager of a firm supervises the overall intake process in an organization. Recruiting for a company involves various types of analysis and the process is divided into different steps depending on the job profile. The screening of candidates, taking tests, interviewing them, and finally offering them job offers are supervised by the HR Manager. The reference checks are also overseen by him/her. Basically the entire recruitment process is overseen by the manager and is responsible for the recruitment of the best candidates.
Other duties of an HR Manager are overseeing the entire Human Resource Development process. The appraisal process also comes under the purview of HR Manager's work. The employment contracts are prepared by the person and he/she has to see to it that the laws regarding employment and other labor laws are being conformed to. He/she acts as a negotiator with the union in some cases.
The concerned person looks after Employee relations and acts as a mediator in Dispute Resolution processes within an organization. EEO and other laws like the Americans and Disabilities Act must be passed by the HR Manager.
The job entails traveling considerably to various college campuses in search of good and employable candidates. Post selection, the candidates are inducted and the training and final placement of those candidates are also the responsibility of an HR Manager. Developing the Training module is also part and parcel of his/her work.
Apart from recruiting candidates, the HR Manager also looks after the separation of non performing employees. Nowadays, they are also required to take part in the strategy formulation of a company and are thus involved in Human Resource Planning which includes forecasting of employee requirements in future. The reports prepared by him/her are used to recruit or lay off employees keeping in mind the trends that are likely in the future.
An HR Manager should ideally have a university degree in Business Administration or else should have completed a course in Human Resources, Industrial or Employee Relations or even Labor Laws. Basically the educational qualifications depend on the job profile. But an understanding of the entire process is absolutely essential. Candidates from Social sciences and behavioral sciences are preferred to any other subject. An interdisciplinary qualification like a degree in engineering or law coupled with a degree in Human Resource Management is required by some companies. Various specialized certifications like CEBS and ASTD are done by HR professionals.
The manager should possess a pleasing personality and appear to be amicable to everyone. He/she should be able to speak and write effectively. Excellent communication skills are essential to express what is expected of employees and the policies of the company to other employees. He/she should be adept in understanding the psychology and be able to interpret the behavior of people to judge them properly. The HR Manager must be a good negotiator and mediator. He/she must be a good motivator. He/she should be a firm administrator and a good team player and exhibit exceptional leadership skills.
The training starts while the person is in college. The incumbent should undergo extensive training to understand human psychology and how to generate a proactive attitude in employees so as to increase productivity and better their performances. The methods of recruiting and maintaining an effective workforce have to be learned through training. An apprenticeship or prior experience in a firm can immensely help to acquire in depth or insight into the methods of recruitment and appraisals.
A career in Human Resource can be very high in its growth potential. The growth prospects, just like any other profession, depend on the capability of the person concerned. But in general, an HR Manager can be promoted to the position of HR Director. He/she can be involved in strategic planning and become one of the most powerful and pivotal positions in the entire organization.
The salary can range anywhere in between $42,500 to $132,500. But the median salary of an HR Manager ranges from $55,750 to $99,500.
An HR Manager should ideally be a very proactive person who does not hesitate to make decisions and implement them. He should be aware of the labor market conditions and act promptly and accordingly. He/she should be able to interpret the upcoming dangers and changes and be accommodating enough to adapt to those changes and steer the company in the right direction by recruiting the right employees.
